Philadelphia Celebrates After Historic Super Bowl Victory

Following the Philadelphia Eagles’ historic Super Bowl victory last Sunday, enthusiastic city residents and sports fans engaged in massive celebrations in the city’s central districts. The championship win over the New England Patriots was the first major sports victory for Philadelphia since the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, while it marked the first ever Super Bowl for the Eagles in history as an NFL team.

Overjoyed fans paraded together in the streets of Philadelphia, engaging in street parties that lasted into the early morning hours of Monday, February 5th. Due to scale of the celebrations and the sheer number of people who attended, there was no shortage of commotion and unruly behavior at times throughout the night. Amid the singing and chants, there were occasional instances of fans overturning cars and climbing light poles, as well as broken windows in attempts to vandalize property. Despite these incidents, it has been reported that the Philadelphia Police Department and sanitation squads responded effectively on Monday morning, and no serious injuries or arrests have been reported to be made during that night’s events.

Longtime ardent fans of the Eagles expressed their emotions in interviews the following last Sunday night’s game. Craig Tinkeman, 52, was reported as saying in an interview with the New York Times, “I’ve been a longtime Eagles fan, and it’s so fabulous to finally experience a win. The Eagles were a great team all year – they really deserved to win. And look out for the next bunch of years – because the Eagles are going to be around.”

Long an underdog in national sports, the victory truly inspired many Philadelphians who have witnessed numerous disappointments in national championships going back over half-a-century. Indeed, the city has enjoyed only two national titles over the past 35 years, as reported by the New York Times – the Sixers in 1983 and the Phillies in 2008. A parallel can be made to the city’s commercial and municipal history – as it was once America’s financial and political capital in the early years of the nation, before being overshadowed by nearby New York City and Washington D.C.

With the win, Eagles fans believe that a change in mindset from the underdog mentality to a more positive one is in order. When asked about the Eagles’ future prospects, former Philadelphia mayor Edward Rendell has stated “Eagles fans will want more now. We’re not happy with just one.” He went on to conclude that the team could appear in the finals once again if quarterback Carson Wentz recovers from a knee injury. For now, however, devoted fans are clearly enjoying the euphoria of the moment.

A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, February 13th print edition.